D800 Housing - Which is the best?

[aquaticman]

With all the years that I shot underwater with Nikonos cameras I never had a flood. My U/W photography students flooded cameras though. In using my Aquatica housing for the Nikon F3, I never had a flood either. I taught meticulous 'O' ring maintenance as I use the cameras myself. I didn't even flood my Nikonos RS bodies. I am less concerned about flooding and maintenance and still not sure about housings. I wonder about a few things. The temptation for most U/W photographers is to have all of the camera functions available. If you constantly change settings you end up spending more time on camera settings and missing the very things that are unique about imaging underwater. Active subjects. Lighting is very important and I've found that TTL is not reliable enough for me underwater so I don't look for that. I use Nikonos dual SB-105 strobes and sometimes a third one. My questions are regarding housings that I can focus quickly, accurately, and adjust easily. Can I find a housing that I can get into tight places? When using any housing will live view work better in some more than others? Is there a housing that is more stable for video than others? Is there a particular housing that works better with an add-on viewfinder? Is there a housing that has enough room for the back of the camera to add an internal eyepiece magnifier like I had in my F3 Aquatica?

 

[JackConnick]

Well, you're looking at a full-frame camera housing, so getting it into tight places is relative. The SB-105s are pretty old, they will work, but certainly aren't small and light like new strobes, such as the Sea & Sea YS-D1.

All of the housings accept viewfinders and the Aquatica and Nauticam are very good. The SEACAM viewfinders are amazing. The viewfinders magnify, you don't use internal magnifiers.

Jack

 

[Viz'art]

With all the years that I shot underwater with Nikonos cameras I never had a flood. My U/W photography students flooded cameras though. In using my Aquatica housing for the Nikon F3, I never had a flood either. I taught meticulous 'O' ring maintenance as I use the cameras myself. I didn't even flood my Nikonos RS bodies. I am less concerned about flooding and maintenance and still not sure about housings. I wonder about a few things. The temptation for most U/W photographers is to have all of the camera functions available. If you constantly change settings you end up spending more time on camera settings and missing the very things that are unique about imaging underwater. Active subjects. Lighting is very important and I've found that TTL is not reliable enough for me underwater so I don't look for that. I use Nikonos dual SB-105 strobes and sometimes a third one. My questions are regarding housings that I can focus quickly, accurately, and adjust easily. Can I find a housing that I can get into tight places? When using any housing will live view work better in some more than others? Is there a housing that is more stable for video than others? Is there a particular housing that works better with an add-on viewfinder? Is there a housing that has enough room for the back of the camera to add an internal eyepiece magnifier like I had in my F3 Aquatica?

The add on Action Finder (AKA sport finder) have gone out with the film cameras, I believe the Nikon F5 (and possibly the F6) where the last one produced, I would thing that with all the electronic, thing kind of got complicated for the camera manufacturers, so the removable prism concept went out the window. mind you, with the enhanced viewfinder available today for housings, you will not miss the F3 action finder

 

[aquaticman]

Actually, the magnifier that I use fits on the F4S. F5, F6, D700, D800, etc. This attaches to the round viewfinder by unscrewing the stock eyepiece and screwing the magnifier on in its place. I use this now on land on the D800 with amazing efficient viewing allowing my eye to be more than a face mask distance away and still view the whole viewing frame! That would be ideal if it fit in a housing as is.

 

[aquaticman]

I have narrowed it down to the Subal or the Nauticam. However,after communicating with Andrej Belic I'm thinking in a different direction. Andrej has adapted Nikonos RS lenses which I have, to Nikon underwater housings. The Nauticam's design works out better with that adaptation. Andrej has also been working on a completely new housing concept. USB control of all functions using piezo buttons - 4 on each handle. No through the housing connectors or controls. Here are links for his amazing project:
Abelic html5
Abelic html5
Housing on display at European show - scroll about halfway down:
Show report: BOOT 2013 :: Wetpixel.com
This would truly revolutionise modern DSLR cameras. I use my D800 in a studio right now with laptop control through USB and after working this way for over a year I can see a huge potential for this type of control.
Bill

 

[BoltSnap]

What about the S&S housing for the D800? Any feedback about it in comparison to the Nauticam?

 

[algarve]

Seacm - you going to love it and its safe safe safe

 

[Compressor]

Pardon my ignorance, but is Ikelite considered too inferior for the D800?
Thank you

 

[PatW]

I got the Nauticam D800 housing this year. I have used it with the 60 mm macro, 105 mm macro and 24-85 3.5-4.6. All have worked nicely. The 60 mm macro focuses really fast and is quite versatile with the full frame.

I got got a vacuum seal system with the housing. It does not cost that much. I think that it is well worth it just for piece of mind. ip

You close the housing and pump up the vacuum seal. It has LEDs that alert you about the state of the seal: green is good, yellow is losing it, and red is bad. It is really nice to set up the whole thing and have instant feedback on the seal integrity. The seal seems to hold forever.

The housing is robust. The ergonomics are very good. The controls are very precise. Of course, it is heavy and a pain to lug around. In the water, it handles fine and it is close to neutral buoyancy.

 

[cbrich]

I got got a vacuum seal system with the housing. It does not cost that much. I think that it is well worth it just for piece of mind. ip

You close the housing and pump up the vacuum seal. It has LEDs that alert you about the state of the seal: green is good, yellow is losing it, and red is bad. It is really nice to set up the whole thing and have instant feedback on the seal integrity. The seal seems to hold forever.

The vacuum systems are worth their weight in gold. Pump up the housing the night before your dive, and check it the next morning. If you have the same vacuum as the night before, no leaks.

I pull a -10 in-hg every time I use mine. Some folks thinks the $300-$400 is too much. How much will it cost to replace a Nikon D800, 105mm Macro, or the OP's 14-24mm lens. If you say under $300 tell me which thief you buy gear from, because a lot of folks would like to get on that train

I own a Nauticam housing, what sold me on Nauticam was their port locking system. But the other brands (Aquatica, Subal, Sea & Sea) make excellent housings.